The main goal of the Yes Men is to publicly expose major corporations and organizations whose main interest is solely personal gain. The ways in which the Yes Men strive to accomplish their goals are by posing as corporate officials, leaders, and spokespersons. In order to gain recognition, they make up phony websites about issues that grasp the public’s attention and interest. The public is not aware of their “scams” and welcome them to various conferences and meetings where their intentions are to embarrass corporations. The Yes Men consist of Andy Bichlbaum and Mike Bonanno. We are not sure as to who can join, but we assume that anyone and everyone in opposition to the power of large corporations are eligible for membership. These candidates have to be willing to go through the often “illegal” motions of the act. In order to be effective, the stunts must be completed thoroughly and efficiently. Their organization stems from their passion for what they do. We are sure that the decisions to act are team based efforts in which they consent on how far they are willing to go with the activity. They are men who “can’t take no for an answer”. The Yes Men are political activists who stir up debates about current issues through their humiliating actions. We think that it is great that there are people brave enough in the world to stand up to major corporations and speak their mind using a non-violent approach. Through their skits and scams, they give voices to millions of Americans and speak for those who do not have the courage to offer their opinions.

We have decided that we would not join The Yes Men because we represent the people they speak for. We would not be able to humiliate giant corporations and give them a piece of our mind. We would not be able to successfully follow through with the demands and daunting tasks of The Yes Men. If we were more daring and bold, this would be an amazing group to join, but seeing that we are timid individuals, we do not fit the job description.

In the article, “Signs of Resistance”, what sparked my interest was the amount of attention given to graffiti. For example, Operation Clean Sweep “vowed to remove graffiti within 7 days after it was reported to a 24 hour hotline”. I understand that graffiti is often perceived as disruptive and deviant acts, but to provide this much attention to it makes me wonder about what else society views as a threat. In my Sociology of Police class, we discussed that graffiti is a quality of life crime, in that it does not directly harm individuals, but speaks to and about society as a whole. If no one is threatened by graffiti, then why all the hassel and attention? Another aspect of the article that strangely intrigued me was the researcher’s mode of transportation. I think that using the bicycle was an innovative approach. Usually, when trying to explore, people would get around via car or by foot. The bicycle allows more room to explore. Additionally. I thought it was great to learn how research begins as informal, personal enlightenment and morphs into the study of visual resistance. Everyday wonderings can become an intricate research process.